Wednesday’s Olympics News Roundup

August 13, 2008 07:30 AM

by
findingDulcinea Staff

With two more wins, Phelps now has more gold medals than any athlete in history; China edges U.S. in women’s gymnastics team competition; U.S. softball team demolishes Aussies with no-hitter; U.S. men's soccer eliminated; U.S. baseball falls in ninth.

China won the gold and America the silver in the women’s gymnastics team competition. With one traumatic fall and a few steps out of bounds, the American team finished two points behind China. Alicia Sacramone, who fell on her back during her floor routine said, “I think everybody knows you always have good days and bad days. I just wish today was a good day.”

After winning two more races, Michael Phelps now has more career gold medals than any other olympic athlete in history. He finished first yesterday in the 200-meter freestyle, breaking the world record with a time of 1:52:03, and in the 4x200-meter relay, in which the American team smashed the world record by swimming the relay in under seven minutes. Phelps won the first race despite his goggles having filled with water, rendering him unable to see for the final 100 meters. Phelps now has five gold medlas in five events this week, and will be racing three more times.

In the women’s 200-meter freestyle, Italian Frederica Pelligrini won gold, breaking her own world record with a time of 1:54:82. Sara Isakovic of Slovenia and Pang Jiaying of China won silver and bronze, respectively. American favorite Katie Hoff finished fourth.

Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-Munajid condemned the Olympics, calling it the “‘Bikini’ Olympic games,” in an interview on August 10. “No exposure of women's private parts on a global scale could make Satan happier than Olympic games that include women's sports,” he said.

Cat Osterman of Texas pitched a no-hitter, giving the U.S. softball team a 3-0 win over Australia, the Americans’ biggest competitor for the gold medal. Due in large part to America’s and Australia’s sheer dominance over their competitors, softball will be discontinued as an Olympic sport after this year.

The U.S. men’s soccer team was eliminated from the tournament after losing 2-1 to Nigeria. Playing with only 10 men after a red card in the third minute, the U.S. fell behind 2-0 before Sacha Kljestan scored on a penalty kick in the 88th minute. Benny Feilhaber had a chance to tie the game in the dying minutes, but his header hit the crossbar.